


her unwitting temptations

by fableknot



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regency, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-01 12:15:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13998147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fableknot/pseuds/fableknot
Summary: The start of the Season brings all sorts of surprises.





	1. Chapter 1

England  
April 1816

Annie Edison admired the countryside from the window of her carriage. The rolling fields, the wandering sheep, and the tiny river that cut through the road never failed to awaken a sense of nostalgia from her.

"I don't understand what's there to be excited about," Britta said beside her. She was picking something off the back of her hand, her expression jaded.

"Of course you wouldn't," Frankie replied, sitting across from them. "You're not the one who was invited." When Britta scowled, she added, "It will be the first time the two of us will be stepping foot inside the premises, so I expect you to be on your best behavior. Annie, on the other hand..."

Annie blushed at her knowing look. She could not help but think about the days she spent here as a child, where she played with the boy from the neighboring manor. She had not seen him since he left for school, and now a party was being held for his return.

One might have considered it strange for a lady to be bringing her governess and a maid along as her companions, but she knew their hosts well enough that they wouldn't mind, and she would have insisted otherwise. Frankie had been instructing her for years, while Britta had only been hired a couple months prior. Though Annie had gotten on a rough start with both of them, they ended up being her closest friends.

"If you think I still hold a candle to Troy, you're mistaken," Annie said.

"Yet you insist on calling him by his given name," Frankie murmured.

"Just as I insist on calling you two by your given names," Annie shot back. "It's merely a sign of familiarity."

Frankie seemed doubtful, but if she had any comment about it, it would have to wait. The carriage had come to a stop. The footman opened the door to help them down from the carriage and proceeded to escort them to the garden, where lunch was already being served. It was nothing more than a small gathering before the bustle of the Season.

Annie had spotted Troy straight away. "My lord," she greeted. She might have had her first love in Troy, and she admitted he had grown quite handsome, but she really couldn't see him as anything other than a dear friend.

"Lady Annie," he said, a delighted sparkle in his eye. "How wonderful it is to see you. Let me introduce you to Abed Nadir. He's a friend I met at the university. A baron."

She looked to the tall gentleman who stood behind him. He had prominent cheekbones and a slight bump on his nose. For some reason, he was avoiding her eyes. "Just a courtesy title." He bent to place a kiss on her hand.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said before Troy went on a joke about how they met. Already, they were proving to be a raucous pair.

After she shared a dance with Troy and enjoyed a conversation with him at the refreshment table, she decided to take a break from the festivities by sitting in her favorite bench by the pond, which was in perfect view of the gathering.

After all these years, Troy was still a bright spot in the crowd. It made her feel guilty, in a strange way. She didn't want to hog his attention. A part of her even thought she didn't deserve it. She buried that thought with the slice of cake on her plate.

"What are we doing here?" Britta whined. As one of her companions, she was obligated to follow her wherever she went.

"I would think you would enjoy being away from the insufferable presence of the elite," Annie said. "Don't you enjoy being in nature and all that?"

Britta straightened, wiping the wistfulness of her face. "Yes. I mean, who cares about a boring party anyway?"

She heard the heather rustle behind her, and she turned around. "Mr. Nadir?"

He nodded. "Ladies."

"Lord Barnes isn't with you?" she observed. "One would think you were joined at the hip."

"You could say that, but I wanted to take a walk by myself." He tipped his head. "What about you?"

"I like the quiet," she said through her teeth. She had an inkling that he might understand if she told the truth. That he might have felt as out-of-place as her.

Annie nibbled on her fork. She barely knew him though, so it was impossible to make that assumption.

"'I love not Man the less, but Nature more,'" he remarked.

"'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage'," she acknowledged. "I thought men weren't interested in romantic drivel."

He shrugged. "It's their loss if they miss the reference."

Her ears pricked when she heard a commotion from the other side of the water. A short man was running naked across the lawn, screaming obscenities, before he was tackled to the ground.

"That must be Chang," she said, vaguely amused.

"Chang?" Abed said, looking unsure whether he should be surprised at the naked man or her lackluster response.

She waved a hand breezily. "He's someone from the village. Troy and I used to see him sneaking around all the time." She covered her mouth. She really shouldn't be saying that, unless she wanted to court gossip.

Abed had a smile in his eyes, as though he'd read her mind. "I won't tell." He glanced at the gathering. "I should probably be going back soon. Knowing Troy, he'll be stumbling to find the both of us." With that, he made his leave.

Annie found herself staring after him.

"Oo," Britta sang. "Looks like someone's—"

Annie elbowed her before she could finish. She was only intrigued, she thought. Nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t sure whether I was going to end up writing this story. After all, _Community_ has been over for years. But let’s face it, I can never get enough of historical romance, and once I started thinking about how the show would translate in an alternate universe, I couldn’t stop. | This chapter was last updated on March 21, 2018.


	2. Chapter 2

Abed was fervently set on dressing himself as Grendel and Troy as Beowulf. The countess had planned a ball later that month, and it would have been the perfect time to put their costumes the test. Unfortunately, as soon as Shirley had heard about it, she threatened to revoke their invitations. He settled for a black mask to represent the monster's shroud, while Troy was allowed to carry a sword at his hip.

"Did you drink the champagne?" Abed asked, his nose wrinkling at the scent.

"Brandy," Troy answered. "I'm a man now, and a man drinks brandy." He raised his glass to a salute before downing it.

"Like Sameul Johnson?"

"Exactly."

"I see," Abed said as he sized up the guests trickling in.

Among them was Lord Hawthorne, who was on the hunt for a bride. Although his title as a duke and almost senile age put him on the radar for most marriage-minding mother, he had an awful personality and a penchant for outliving his wives.

But more importantly, there was Annie, who had recently made her debut. She was sitting at a table, speaking animatedly with her companions. He remembered the first time he saw her. The air whooshed from his lungs. The blood rushed to his head. Even now, he didn't feel any less.

She was everything that he was not.

But she recognized the work he'd quoted from. Abed had never met anyone who might share his passion, with the exception of Troy. He was determined to know more about her, and maybe even win her favor.

"Lady Annie," he said, once he'd gotten the courage to approach the table. "Would you like to dance?"

She looked at him, her mouth parting slightly, her cheeks ruddy from the cold. Her gloved hand clasped his, and he pulled her to the floor. The room began to fill with the strains of the orchestra. They spun as the candlelight streaked around them.

Then the butler, a slip of a man named Pelton, announced the newest guest.

Her lovely, warm eyes turned glazed.

Jeff Winger had entered the room. Lord Duncan and Lady Michelle moved to stand beside him, the most recognizable members of his circle. He walked with all the airs of a duke, purposeful and proud. Then he sent a winning smile their way.

Abed hesitated to look at Annie, the apple bobbing in his throat. He didn't understand it, but somehow he knew.

She was completely and utterly besotted.

—

Britta left the ballroom shortly after Annie went to dance. If she hadn't, she would have been stuck together with Frankie, who would surely start nagging her about how she should sit upright, or speak more proper, or something equally banal. She had been so absorbed in exploring the place that she bumped into the person in front of her. "Excuse you," she said, rubbing her nose.

"My apologies," he said. "Are you alright?"

"You could try to be mor—" She gulped as she took him in. Full lips, honey blonde hair, and a hint of stubble. He had the most gorgeous face she'd ever laid eyes on. She frowned when she managed a look at his attire. He wasn't a servant but a noble.

"I'm sorry," she stammered out. "It was silly of me to…"

 _Actually,_ she thought. _No._ She lived in fear of the upper class for too long. She was tired of a society where status dictated whether they would spend their life in peace or tiptoeing around glass. It took her a moment to realize she was baring her heart to him out loud.

She held her ground, waiting for him to smack her, or call the magistrate, or take her to the asylum, but never for him to say, "I agree."

She did a double take. "You what?"

"I agree," he repeated.

"You do?"

He nodded, not to placate her or to distract her long enough to sneak away, but actually _nodded_ , as though he believed in every word she said.

Britta thought she might cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit, it's rushed. If I'm honest with myself, I just wanted to explain my era-appropriate headcanons in narrative form. | This chapter was last updated on March 21, 2018.


	3. Chapter 3

In the morning, Annie chatted away excitedly in the drawing room. She simply could not stop talking about Jeff, despite not sharing a single word with him all evening. She had roused Britta and Frankie from their sleep, singing his praises, and continued to fawn over him well after breakfast.

She hardly thought she could be blamed for that. Anyone would have done the same if they saw the fine cut of his coat, the sweep of his straw-colored hair, and the mask that framed his dark eyes. He had the most formidable presence in the room.

"Annie," Britta said, shaking her shoulder. "Annie."

She blinked. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about? Oh, right. The duke! Well, I couldn't help but notice the way he—"

Frankie cleared her throat, her fingers hooked around the handle of a teacup in her lap. "Before we continue this… tantalizing discussion, why don't you welcome our guests?"

Annie knitted her brows at the two boys who made themselves comfortable in the seat by the window. A tray table had been placed beside them. Troy was heaping little sandwiches onto his plate, a mark of his terribly ferocious appetite, while Abed appeared to be strangely invested in the tapestry on the wall.

"No, please," Troy said between bites. "Go on."

Britta slouched over the armrest. "I hear that Lady Michelle used to be his mistress."

"I would refrain from mentioning that in good company," Frankie said, with a sharp look at Britta, "but she's right. He's a rake of the worst kind. A blackguard."

"He wouldn't hesitate to break any woman's heart," Britta agreed. "But dash it, Annie. You should take that risk. Offer a proposition. Stay with him in his summer home. Elope to Gretna Green. Life is too short to be worrying about appearances." She jumped up. "It's time to break free from the chains of society."

Frankie gawked at her. "Her reputation will be in tatters. Her family will disown her."

"Details," Britta said with a snort. "I never had much of a head for them."

"Or for anything else," Frankie said into the rim of her cup.

Britta responded with a petulant stick of her tongue. Although Annie secretly admired Britta's ability to speak her mind, especially from someone in her position, she did have a tendency to prattle when it wasn't welcome.

Still, Annie was content to have Britta on her side. Although she wouldn't go as far as to start an affair, she was sure she could entice him to court her. Her family always had lofty designs for her future. No matter what scandals Jeff may have committed, they would be ecstatic if she managed to rope a duke to the altar.

Frankie was the practical sort, so Annie tried to convince her with that.

"Oh, no," Frankie said. "You can dress it up all you want, but I know you're doing it because you fancy him."

Annie looked up at her with shining eyes.

After a long moment, Frankie sighed. "Alright." She turned to Troy and Abed. "Since you two are here, you might as well help."

"Like spies, you mean?" Troy smiled devilishly from ear to ear. "What do you think, Abed?"

"Capital," Abed said offhand. "Just capital."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A part of me was actually invested in the Jeff and Slater ship. I don't normally root for rare pairs, but it happens. I've also been on board with Troy and Abed, as well as Troy and Britta. | This chapter was last updated on March 21, 2018.
> 
> NOTE: I've been busy with a few things, but I swear "Her Unwitting Temptations" has been moved up high on my list of priorities. I've never dropped a fanfic before, and I don't plan to start now. The outline for this entire story is finished, and Chapter Four is in the process of being written. Thank you for your patience.


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